That’s because the federal government will no longer offer large grants to owners of substantially damaged homes and businesses unless they raise their buildings at least a foot over the elevations proposed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, officials said today. If elevation isn’t possible, then boilers or other utilities must be made flood-proof or relocated a foot higher than the latest federal regulations.

The new standard — called a "common sense" move — was announced today during a press conference in Kearny by Shaun Donovan, who heads the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.

From this point forward, any grant money from a nearly $60 billion federal Sandy relief package will be subject to the new standard, they said.

"We need to recognize the reality of rising sea levels and extreme weather events," LaHood said during the press conference in front of an Amtrak substation that was badly damaged during Sandy. "We can do better than simply react from one storm to another."

The new regulation applies to homes and businesses in New Jersey, New York and Connecticut, three states that were left in tatters by Sandy.

But in New Jersey, the move aligns the federal government with the state’s recent adoption of the same height standard, which was put in place to help Sandy victims rebuild.

"It really makes no difference because the state already adopted it," said Brick Mayor Stephen Acropolis, who served on an advisory committee for the federal task force that conceived the idea.

Scott McQuarrie, a Union Beach resident whose house was destroyed by Sandy, said last night it’s a good move.

"I’m in total favor of it," McQuarrie said. "I want to keep my family safe. That’s of paramount concern to me."

At the standard’s heart are FEMA’s advisory base flood elevations which, if approved, would force thousands of storm-vulnerable structures to be raised several feet. New Jersey’s advisory elevations were released in December to offer guidance to rebuilding hurricane victims and likely won’t be finalized until 2014. The elevations could still change before then, federal officials have said.

That’s stirred up concerns among many New Jersey property owners and communities, especially in coastal areas. They say the costs to elevate could cripple their finances, and they aren’t sure about the accuracy of the proposed elevations. In addition, homeowners in new hazardous zones could pay up to 10 times their current flood insurance rates if they don’t elevate their homes.

"We understand the concerns of homeowners and businesses … but what we’re trying to do is lower costs for homeowners and businesses in the long run," Donovan said.

Not everyone will be forced to comply. The structures affected by the standard are those that sustained damages of 50 percent or more of their market value during Sandy.